1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an inductor constructed by using a monolithic sintered body obtained by stacking a plurality of ceramic green sheets to cofire the same, and more particularly, to an inductor in which a plurality of inductor elements are formed in a sintered body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, an inductor shown in a perspective view of FIG. 1 has been known. In an inductor 1, a plurality of inductor elements are formed in a sintered body 2 obtained by stacking a plurality of ceramic green sheets to cofire the same. More specifically, a plurality of line electrodes 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a and 6b are arranged so as to extend between side surfaces 2a and 2b of the sintered body 2 which are opposed to each other.
Both ends of the line electrodes 3a and 3b are electrically connected to outer electrodes 7a and 7b (represented by imaginary lines) provided on side surfaces 2a and 2b of the sintered body 2, respectively. Similarly, the remaining line electrodes 4a and 4b to 6a and 6b are electrically connected to outer electrodes 8a and 8b to 10a and 10b provided on the side surfaces 2a and 2b of the sintered body 2, respectively. Thus, in the sintered body 2, four inductor elements are respectively formed between the outer electrodes 7a to 10a and the outer electrodes 7b to 10b.
In obtaining the above described sintered body 2, a plurality of ceramic green sheets 11 to 16 mainly composed of, for example, magnetic materials shown in FIG. 2 are used. The upper surfaces of the ceramic green sheets 13 and 14 out of the ceramic green sheets 11 to 16 are respectively coated with conductive pastes 3b to 6b and 3a to 6a with predetermined spacing. The conductive pasts 3a to 6b, which constitute the above described line electrodes 3a to 6b after cofiring, have the same reference numerals as those of the line electrodes 3a to 6b.
The sintered body 2 is obtained by stacking the ceramic green sheets 11 to 16 in the direction shown in FIG. 2 to cofire the same.
Meanwhile, in the above described construction, the conductive pastes 3a to 6a or 3b to 6b applied to the upper surface of each of the ceramic green sheets 13 and 14 are arranged on the same plane in a state close to each other with relatively short spacing. Thus, in the obtained sintered body 2, magnetic induction is liable to occur between the adjacent line electrodes, for example, between the line electrodes adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction such as the line electrodes 3a and 4a. More specifically, the inductor thus constructed has the disadvantage in that mutual interference of signals, i.e., crosstalk between the adjacent line electrodes is liable to be increased.